Circuit-closing device



Patented :'pr. A13,1926.

GEORGE N. RUTTLE, OF MOUNT DENNIS, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-FOURTH 1,580,169 PSATENT OFFICE.

TO EDWARD JAMES MAHON'Y, 0F MOUNT DENNIS, ONTARIO, CANADA.

A, CIRCUIT-'CLOSING DEV'ICEL" To all whom 1f/may concer/n:

'Be it known that I', GEORGE N. RUTTLE, of the village of Mount Dennis,in the countyI of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, a subject of theKing'of Grreat Britain, have invented certain new anduseful Improvementsin Circuit-Closin Devices, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates tocircuitrclosing -devices particularly adaptedfor use with indicators for indicatingn the intended changes ofdirection of a .vehicle and vmy object is to providea circui`t` closingdevice which will permit the indicator to remaim lit while thesteeringmechanism is being. operated to turn a corner and which will cutout the lights when the wheel is turned in4V the opposite direction tostraighten the course o the vehicle after `ther-corner has beenturned. ll I l attain my objects by means of the constructions hereinafterdescribed and illustrated in the' accompanyingidrawings in which f fFig. l is a rear view of the indicator, partly broken away and showingthe switch thereof in horizontal section;

Fig.`2 a diagramma'tic'view ofthe switch and steerinor wheel; and

Y Fig. 3 a front elevation of my device.

One is a casing which is partitioned off to form three compartments inwhich the I electric bulbs. 2, 3 and 4 are suitably carried.

The casing is provided with glazed rear iand front sides andthe portionsof each glass behind land Vin front of the different compartmentsV arecolored to contrast with the portions infront and behind the adjacentcompartment. ln other words the glass in front and behind thecompartment, in which the end light 2 is carried, is colored red; theglass in frontand behind the compartment, in'which thefcentral light 3is carried,fis colored green; andthe glasswin frontv and behind thecompartment,"in which the end light is carried, is colored red;

The ,bulbs 2, 3 and.54"are respectively connected by wires 2,fiand'lih'to-the fixed contacts 2b, 3l" and 3c, aiidfllof a switch boxf5. It will be noted that thecontafcts 2P and 3b, 3C and 4"A are soplaced-that aipivoted switch arm may be brought into"contactVwitlieither pairfof contactsgfor a purpose hereinafter described.'j,-,Theswitcharm 6 is Application led November 19, 1923. Serial No.675,721.

connected to a suitable source ofielectrical supply 17 which is groundedto the frame of the vehicle and the electric bulbs are also suitablygrounded to the fra-me. i

-From the above description 1t 1s obvious 4that when the switch arm ismoved to the right or left to contact with either of the 'contacts 3b or3 the centre bulb 8 will be tre green light anindic'ation of thedirection the driver of the vehicle intends to turn will Ibe given,`thered on the left of the green light indicating a left' hand turn and thered on the right oit' the green indicating a.

right hand turn.

It is desirable to provide means for releasably lockingA the switch arm6 in either its right or left turn indicating positions and forautomatically moving it to its otl position when the vehicle steeringmecha-I nism has been shifted a lpredetermined minimum'. The switch arm6 is secured to a pivot pin 6a which is suitably journalled in the topand bottom of the switch box 5. Tofthe upper end of this pin whichextends through the top of the lswitch box is secured an arm 6b whichextends beyond vthe side thereof so that it may be readily engaged bythe drivers hand when itis desired to operate the switch. To enable thedriver to reach the arm 6b without removing either hand from thesteering wheel the switch box is suitablyclamped to the steering wheel.-The switcli'arm 6 is normally held, by means of flat springs 7, in itsott ""V-or open posi tion; I 'j To ermit the desir'ed lights to remainlighte whilef-thegwheel is being turned to turn a corner and to cut outthe lights when :the wheel is turned lin the oppositedirection tostraighten the course' of the vehicle after the ,corner has been turnedI provide the following means. A 'pairof members 8,c aref pivoted onvthe switch box and are provided with shoulders 9a'and9b adapted toengage the arm 6b, the shoulders 9*al being adapted to holdtheswit arm6in contact with. the

.6b. The springs Ifthen return 0 arm' 6 to its neutral.v position. i

I contacts 2b` and 3b the shoulder'9by 'being` adapted to hold the arm 6in contact: with the contacts Scfand 4b. These members have.

their .upper surfaces inclined whereby the 5 movement of the arm 6'. ineither direction will cause one: of' the membersv to b e de-y pressedagainst Ithe tension of a spring yl2' which tends to hold 'th'efmemiberin position shaped actuator 15. 'LThis actuatoris ful? crumed on :theswitch box and isjadapted to j be engaged by either one o f two members10. l i These .members are adjustably secured by a clamp 17a to thesteeringwheel column.

l2o From this description it is evident that if theactuator be rocked'in' either direction,` *bymeansof the members 10, that one ofthe lmembers 8c 'will be pulled downwardly .to

. .disengage thearm 61? and the other member .25 .will remain lin itsoperative position as the v raised/end'iof the actuator merely passes*through its-loop Assuming it is l'desired to turn the vehicle" round acorner, say tothe right', the arm 6"` ao'is'just-moved totherightftoengag'e'the shoulder 9" and thusflight the bulbs 2 and 3..-Wl1en the corner .is reached vthe wheel.

' is turned .tothe right. and the fixed member-10, at vthefleftof theswitch box 5, en.-

e5v gadgesthe actuator'l to move thevlatteras cated in dotted lines inFig. 3.-. This movement, causes lthe arm of the actuator below theshoulder? 9a to slide upwardly inits lofop` without' moving. the latter.vThe. 40 shoulder 9b is depressed by this movement f of the actuator.VVhenfthe"corner has .been turned the. wheel is turned tothe left tostraighten the course ofthe vehicleand the said member 10, which is nowat the right 45 of the switch'- box, `again`ei`1gages the: actuator 15'torok it in adirection opposite to the first direction andthusgcausethe shoul der 9* to be depressed to disengagethe arm WhatIclaim is: z; f 1. The combination with i'a .vehicle provided withsteering means *including amovvable and a stationary art, 'offa'switch'box steering means and provided witha pairof spaced contacts; afpivoted' lswiteh'l arm',`

adaptedto engage either one of thej'contac'ts `yielding means tending tohold the v arm outl; .60. of engagement. with the contacts-- and v.cen-

trally locate itv relative` thereto;v a pair ofmemberspivoted on. theswitch box, leach i member being'providedv with ashoulder,

'each.shoulder adapted to releasa'blyhold the switch.

the arm in engagementv with onefof the contacts; and lmeans .including.a plurality of members Vcarried on the other part ot the steeringmeansfor actuating the locking members to release the switch .arm and adaptedto permit the movable part ofthe steering means to be first turned inone direction-'and then inthe opposite direction before releasingthesaid arm. i 2. The combination with a vehicle provided with steeringmeans including a movable and a stationary-part, of a switch box adaptedto be clamped on one part of the steering means- 'and-provided with [apair of spaced "'contacts; a -pivotedl switch arm adapted .to engageeither 'one ofthe contacts; yielding mea-ns' tending to hold ,the armout of engagementpwithf the,contacts .and centrally locatey it relativethereto; a

.pair ofmemberspivoted on the switch 8'5 box, each'lme'mber beingprovided with a shoulder, Ieach. shoulder adapted to releasably hold thearm in v.engagement with. one. of the contacts; any actuator ofsubstantially T-shapepivoted on the switch box and having its oppositelydirect ed arms connected to the .lockingmembers the connections beingadapted-to permit either one ofthe arms"ofthe-actuator to rock onedirection' without disturbing its locking member; and a plurality ofmembers carried onthe other part of the steerf-ingmeans and adapted to`engage'the actuator. '1 1' 3. The cornbin'ation with'. a vehicleprovided with'steering-'m'eans inc'ludinga movable anda stationary part,A of-la switch lbox adaptedftobej clamped on' one'part to the spacedlvcontacts; a pivo'ted switc arm adapted-to engage eitherone ofthecontacts; yielding means tending to`hold the arm. out of engagement withthe contacts a-nd centrally locate .iti-relative thereto; a. pair ofv'members pivoted'on the switch box, each member being"v provided `withgarzshoulder, each shoulderadapted to releasablylhold the arminengagementwith 'onejf the 'con-4 .tactsg afloop depending from; each. oflthe saidmembers; an actuator of substantiallyl Tshap`e'having itsoppositely directed arms passing through the 'saidloops the actuatorbeing pivotedontheswitch box; and a plu-, rality ofmembers carried ontheother part ofthe steering means and-adapted to engage .the 4actuatorto cause yeitherI ofthe oppo'f 'steering means .and provided with a airof site-ly directed arms thereotto actuate one .ofthe locking members toits releasing po'si-` tion ,without disturbing the other lockingmember.'l l Signed atToronto,.Canada, this 16th day of October, 1923. v a'chosen N. RUTTL'E.: y

